KEM to start clinical trial of anti-tb BCG vaccine

MUMBAI:KING Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital in Parel will soon to start clinical trial of anti-tuberculosis vaccination (TB) — Bacille Calmette-guérin vaccine (BCG) to treat Covid-19 patients. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has selected the hospital for the trial which will be conducted on 200 people of the age group of 60-75 years.

KEM Hospital, the biggest civic-run hospital in Mumbai, has been treating the highest number of severely-ill Covid-19 patients since the outbreak of the virus in March. Last week, ICMR informed the hospital about the trial and the proposal to conduct the trial has been sent to the ethics committee of the hospital for final approval.

In India, BCG vaccination started in 1949 under the national immunisation programme. The vaccine, an annual vaccine administered to newborns, protects against disseminated tuberculosis and meningitis.

In the clinical trial, the vaccine will be administered on citizens aged above 60 years to examine if it can stimulate the immune response among older people against Covid-19.

“ICMR has initiated a multicentric study to see if BCG can reduce the severity of Covid-19 infection among individuals above 60 years of age. The vaccine is effective among children to control TB, but the study will see its implications on elder people and its correlation with Covid-19,” said Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner.

Despite repeated calls, Dr Hemant Deshmukh, dean of the hospital, didn’t respond to HT.

The trial will be conducted on 1,000 volunteers aged above 60 years of age in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi.

“Volunteers will be tested for antigens to check if they are infected with Covid-19. They will have to undergo antibody test to see if they were infected with the virus in the past,” said Kakani.

Often Covid-19 patients develop inflammatory reactions which lead to severity of their infection and even death. In this backdrop, doctors opined BCG vaccination, by enhancing innate immune response, may have deleterious effects on coronavirus.

“Several researches have shown a correlation that people who received BCG vaccination did not get sick more often or become seriously ill. It has longlasting effects to boost the immune system. It is believed that despite having such a huge population, Covid-19 fatality rate in India is low because of BCG vaccine which is given to all children since the early 90s,” said Dr Lalit Anande, medical superintendent of Sewri TB Hospital.

However, the World Health Organization (WHO) overruled the significance of BCG vaccine in April. In a statement on its website, it stated, “There is no evidence that BCG protects people against infection with Covid-19 virus. Two clinical trials addressing this question are underway. WHO will evaluate the evidence when available.” Meanwhile, KEM Hospital expects to receive approval from the ethics committee to run the clinical trial on Covishield within the next two days.

ICMR HAS SELECTED KEM HOSPITAL FOR THE TRIAL WHICH WILL BE CONDUCTED ON 200 PEOPLE OF THE AGE GROUP OF 60-75 YEARS